Cons

Subway lines mostly serve the east side of Manhattan.

What It's Like

A balance of business and residential, the neighborhoods of Gramercy and Murray Hill don't have the tourist crowds of Times Square or Midtown West. For most visitors, the main draw is that it's a quiet, convenient place to stay, just outside the theaters, funky shops, and restaurants of the East Village (to the south) and the business-focused hub and high-end 5th Avenue shopping of Midtown East (to the north).

Where to Stay

Historic, landmarked blocks of condos and co-ops mean that hotels here are peppered amid local hangouts and residences. Unlike the gargantuan towers in Times Square, most hotels here are smaller and fairly low-key. High-quality, small-scale hotels like the Affinia Dumont, the Kitano, the Hotel Giraffe, and Hotel Roger Williams, and the ultra-exclusive Gramercy Park Hotel offer attentive service in relaxed, mature settings. For a younger crowd, you can also opt for the branded swank of the W Union Square, which is closest to the nightlife in the East Village.

Gramercy and Murray Hill Hotel Guides

The quiet Gramercy and Murray Hill neighborhoods are convenient to the midtown business district. Not every hotel is equipped to handle the needs of 21st-century business travelers, and the hotels on this list have fast and reliable in-room wireless Internet connection, a comfortable and well-equipped business center, and a professional staff used to handling business-oriented requests.

New York is a loud city, and certain sections of it stay loud all night long. Getting a good night's sleep is never easy when it's interrupted by honking taxis and the shouts of drunken revelers. Anyone who needs peace and quiet when they head to bed should take a look at our list of the best quiet hotels in the sleepy, residential neighborhoods of Gramercy and Murray Hill.